As Matthew mentioned earlier, Martin Prado requested $7.05 million and was offered $6.65 million from the Braves when arbitration figures were exchanged today. With such a small gap between the two sides, one would think that it wouldn’t take much work to get a deal done, but Braves general manager Frank Wren told David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this afternoon that there will be no more negotiations with Prado because of a club policy.

“We are a file-to-go club,” he said, meaning to file a salary figure and then go to a hearing. “Once we exchanged numbers at 1 o’clock today, we don’t negotiate any further. That’s an organization policy that we’ve taken on for a number of years. We would prefer these end in a settlement negotiation, but at the same time, if they don’t that’s obviously a right the player has, and we have to take it to a neutral arbitration panel.”

In other words, now that salary figures have been exchanged, the Braves plan to leave it up to an arbitration panel to decide on one salary or the other for 2013. There are a handful of other teams who have a similar policy in place, including the Blue Jays, Rays and Marlins. Such a policy can pressure players into working out a contract rather than deal with the potential awkwardness of a hearing. The Braves haven’t had an arbitration case go to a hearing since 2001 with John Rocker, but it sounds like they are prepared to go there if Prado doesn’t take their offer of $6.65 million.

Prado earned $4.75 million last season while hitting .301/.359/.438 with 10 home runs, 70 RBI and a .796 OPS last season. The 29-year-old can become a free agent following the 2013 season.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports Thursday that the Orioles “are said to have begun fielding calls of interest” on superstar Manny Machado and “are close to the point of seriously weighing whether to trade him.”

You’d think it would be a no-brainer for the last-place O’s to flip Machado — an impending free agent — for prospects, but Heyman notes there is “still a question whether or not longtime Orioles owner Peter Angelos” will give the go-ahead. One person familiar with the situation put it a “50-50” likelihood. Another suggested that it would take a massive return, which, sure.

Machado entered play Thursday with a sensational .328/.405/.635 batting line, 15 home runs, and an MLB-leading 43 RBI in 49 games. It’d be a real shock if he’s still wearing an O’s uniform by the end of July.

Heyman reported previously that at least nine teams made aggressive plays for Machado this winter, including the Cubs, Phillies, Dodgers, Indians, Diamondbacks, Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, and Cardinals. A whole lot of those teams still make sense here in late May — maybe all of them except the White Sox.